Fury : Inside the Life of Theoren Fleury

Rating:
Summary: You'll love Theo, after you read this book!(if you're human)
Review: I bought this for my husband, for Christmas. I read it out of curiosity. Theo's story will not just warm your heart. It will make you love him, and respect him. So many who have his difficult background use it as an excuse to walk around with a chip on their shoulder. Theo doesn't, he only has a chip on his shoulder on the ice, where it belongs. The author included a lot of other stuff, that sometimes made the book a difficult read, but I'd just turn the pages until he picked up Theo's story again. I liked him to begin with, now I root hard for him, this little dynamo paid his dues, and earned his success. If you only read one book this year, you have to read this one.

Rating:
Summary: A Gretzky pal
Review: I greatly admire Fleury's perserverance. He has made what most would think is an impossible dream a reality and has enjoyed tremendous success doing so. I am a hockey player myself and, at 5'0", the smallest one on the ice most of the time. Therefore, I have a special appreciation for his accomplishments and fearlessness. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Theo's personal journey to the NHL, but was distressed by the disjointed manner in which the story was told. I entered into the book thinking it would be a narrative exclusively about Theo, but the book was as much about the makeup of minor league and NHL hockey as about Theo himself. Not that I'm not interested in the extensive hockey detail - I just thought the attention given to it was inappropriate in this forum. It's not as if THEO'S life didn't have enough richness to it without having to look elsewhere to find stuff to fill the pages. Theo's story is such a remarkable one that it seemed a shame to me that it couldn't have stood on its own. I loved the subject matter, but disliked the way in which the author presented it. If I hadn't though Theo's story was so remarkable, I would have definitely given this book fewer stars.

Rating:
Summary: Fury: Fleury and the Calgary Flames
Review: Parts of this biography focus on Theo's childhood development and his opening years with the Calgary Flames. I say 'parts' because it also spends a great deal of time discussing how various parts of the Flames organzation runs, with chapters devoted to the people behind the scenes. While the book doesn't concentrate completely on Fleury, I still felt it was informative in bringing me the whole picture regarding the things that affect his daily life (travel, practices, autograph hounds, injuries, and such). In a few years, I'd like to see this author revisit Fleury and write about his days with the Avalanche, the Rangers, and the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: The Theo-specific info in this book would make a very nice in-depth magazine article. The book is poorly written, very disjointed. The author introduces a Theo story, and in the next paragraph is telling the history of the food services manager. In one place, I counted 6 pages that included only 1 paragraph of 2 lines about Theo. Theo has an incredible spirit. His story is one of triumph over truly overwhelming odds. He deserved a better effort for what is titled as HIS biography. If you want to know about the GM, coaches (at all levels), security guards, bus drivers, entertainment managers, food service, mascots and ticket sales this is the book for you. If you want to really get to know an NHL player, read Brett Hull: His Own Story.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: The Theo-specific info in this book would make a very nice in-depth magazine article. The book is poorly written, very disjointed. The author introduces a Theo story, and in the next paragraph is telling the history of the food services manager. In one place, I counted 6 pages that included only 1 paragraph of 2 lines about Theo. Theo has an incredible spirit. His story is one of triumph over truly overwhelming odds. He deserved a better effort for what is titled as HIS biography. If you want to know about the GM, coaches (at all levels), security guards, bus drivers, entertainment managers, food service, mascots and ticket sales this is the book for you. If you want to really get to know an NHL player, read Brett Hull: His Own Story.